Toddling Along: Time Out
By
Gemsong

So I’m in a bad mood. I am not *always* in a bad mood. It’s just when you catch me. And don’t listen to Daniel. Rat bastard. I hate him. He’s gone beyond merely mean. He’s the devil incarnate and evil and I hate him. Really hate him.

All because of those stupid shoes again. I hate them. I hate the flashing lights. They suck the big one. I don’t want to wear them. Nobody in their right mind would want to wear those things. Whoever came up with that idea should be dropped in a well. Full of snakes. Serve them right.

“Jack,” Daniel said. “Put your shoes on.”

“No.”

“Jack you’re not going outside without shoes on your feet.”

“No.”

“Jack, get away from the door and come here.”

“No!”

“Jack, I mean it,” Daniel said. “If you want to go outside, you have to put your shoes on. Remember what happened last time.”

“Thew you!” I snapped yanking on the handle. Damn it! He locked it.

Daniel grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me away from the door. I warned him. I kicked him in the ankle as hard as I could.

Ow!! My toe!

SWAT!!

OWWWWW!!!!!

I was in shock. Stunned. Mortified! He hit me! The next thing I know my stinging butt is parked in a chair facing the corner.

“Time out!” Daniel said. “Fifteen minutes. Think about it!”

I shifted. I squirmed. My butt hurt and the chair is hard. I can’t believe he hit me. Swatted me like I was a kid. I don’t care that I’m two feet tall! Vertically challenged is all.

My heels thump on the chair legs. This is not fair! I hate him!

“Jack, stop kicking the chair.”

I thump a little harder.

“Would you like another fifteen minutes?”

I freeze. I hate this. I hate this chair. I swear it has a time dilation field around it. Bet you didn’t think I knew a big word? Hah. Well it does. Fifteen minutes feels like hours.

I sniffle and rub my nose. Maybe kicking him in the ankle wasn’t that good of an idea. And the deck has splinters because I never fixed it when I was big. And it really hurt when Daniel had to pull one out of my toe.

I sniffle some more.

“Did you think about it?” Daniel said coming up beside the torture chair.

I nod. “Thowwy, Daniel,” I said rubbing a hand over my tearing eyes.

He picks me up and hugs me. I hug him back. “Can we buy new those?”

“New shoes?”

I nodded.

“You really hate those, don’t you?”

I nod.

“Okay. New shoes,” Daniel said. He kissed my forehead. “Better now?”

I nod again. “Bedder.”

Why can’t I stay mad at him?

Fini